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To me, the harp seems a maddeningly difficult instrument to play. Like, how does the musician touch all of the strings that produce sweet, pretty notes, and not touch all those other strings that would produce sour, ugly notes? It seems no wonder somebody, probably in a rage, flipped the bugger on its side, built a box around it, and started hitting it with hammers.

Fortunately, there's no need to look around for a box of hammers with Jennifer Hoult. Ms. Hoult manages to hit any number of sweet notes, and nary a sour one throughout this more-than-ample 21 song set of Christmas standards. Without a doubt, harp is the most difficult of instruments to play, but on the other hand it is among the most humanly played instruments, requiring the musician to do everything but wrestle with it. So gratifying then, to hear such eloquent, graceful phrasing coming from such a large and physically unwieldy instrument.

There are a number of highlights. I liked snappy pacing on the unusual series of European carols that occurred somewhere in the middle of the set: Short Fantasy On A Nöel Provencal, Short Fantasy On A Cagalan Carol, Short Fantasy On A Neapolitan Carol, Short Fantasy On A Basque Carol. In spite of all the Short Fantasies, the set never becomes ethereal or overly classical. Ms. Hoult plays her harp with precise authority and strikes a down-to-earth tone that sets her music apart, giving it an almost pop quality, somehow.

Unless harp music is just completely not your thing, put the hammer down and give a listen to Jennifer Hoult's The Eve of Christmas this holiday season.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Produced, Engineered, and Mastered by Adam Abeshouse
Edited by Paul Cox and Adam Abeshouse
Recorded April 11-13, 2005 in Pellham, NY on a 1980 Lyon and Healy Salzedo model pedal harp
Manufactured and printed by Disc Makers, Pennsauken, NJ, U.S.A.
Special thanks to Marcus Paul

From the promotional materials:

A True Renaissance woman, Jennifer Hoult's professional credits span the fields of music, law, and engineering. For over three decades, she has appeared throughout the United States and Europe as a harp soloist in concerts, workshops teaching, television, and radio appearances. Beginning work as a professional musician at the age of 12, Ms. Hoult appeared as soloist under the baton of Arthur Fiedler with the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra at age 15.

Formerly Principal Harp of the Florida Orchestra and Bridgeport Symphony, Ms. Hoult is Principal Harp of the New Haven Symphony.

Jennifer Hoult

The Eve Of Christmas,
The Christmas Music of Carlos Salzedo

Artist link

Track List